


Indefinitely Falling

by alcoholandregret



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, mikey isn't a hockey player
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 08:55:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13186695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcoholandregret/pseuds/alcoholandregret
Summary: "This would have been a much faster trip if you weren't so lazy," Jake shakes his head as he starts to push the cart over to self-checkout. "Or if I went on my own.""You'd miss me if you went on your own."





	Indefinitely Falling

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Stolen Black Cars by Duncan Fellows](https://open.spotify.com/track/3pf5BhbXqFS49JMFNiMnYx)

"Do you think I can stand on the end of the cart while you push it and _not_ have it tip over?" Mikey asks as they walk into Giant Eagle, pushing the cart he’d ‘rescued’ - _it’s lonely, Jake, it doesn’t belong out here_ \- from an empty space in the parking lot. "I don't feel like walking."

"No, probably not," Jake shakes his head. "You'd fall and bring it with you. Also, we don't need a cart."

Jake had picked him up from class on his way to the store, because this is the kind only of ‘date’ they seem to be able to have these days. It’s not like he’ll complain, because any time spent with Mikey is good time, and shopping by himself is far out of his top ten favourite things to do with his free time.

"Yes we do."

"We're _just_ getting ice cream."

"Yeah but I was really hoping you'd push me around in this."

He really should be used to this by now, probably, and he _also_ should have been ready to stop Mikey from climbing into the shopping cart. He wasn't, though, and just gives his boyfriend a look when he folds his legs underneath him and grins up at him.

He just walks away, leaving Mikey sitting in the middle of the aisle.

"Jake!" Mikey squawks, indignant. "C'mon man don't leave me like this."

"You did this yourself," Jake turns around and immediately puts his head in his hands when he sees Mikey trying to make the cart scoot along without getting out.

"Why do I associate myself with you?" He sighs when he walks back over to him. "You're ridiculous."

"Uh huh, but I'm cute and you love me. Can't say I blame you."

"Right," he leans against the back of the cart so he can look down at Mikey. “Obviously that’s why.”

"Stop being a coward and push me. It'll be a good workout."

"I had practice this morning, I really don't need one," Jake points out, but he gets the cart moving with more effort than he thought it would take. "You could use the walking, though."

Mikey tips his head back so he can look at him. "Oh yeah? Who are we buying the ice cream for again?"

" _We're_ buying the ice cream now?"

"Don’t do that to me. I have a five dollar bill. That's it."

Jake laughs. "Where does all of your money even go?"

"Sorry Mr. Stanley Cup Champion. We can't _all_ make as much as you do."

Jake just rolls his eyes. "You're insufferable."

"Yet you've tolerated me for a year," Mikey shrugs. "So maybe I am sufferable."

"That isn't how that works."

"Yeah it is. I'm in college."

"I also went to college."

"But I'm _in_ college. It's different. Let me hold the ice cream," he reaches for the tub the moment Jake pulls it out of the freezer.

"You're going to melt it."

"Worried I'm too hot, Jake?" Mikey jokes, his tongue poking out from between his teeth.

He tosses the tub at him and laughs when Mikey makes a shocked noise and jumps. "Think fast, Michael."

"You're the worst. And you’re supposed to say that _before_ you throw something."

"You wanted to hold it."

"You didn’t need to throw it,” Mikey huffs and puts the ice cream in his lap. “What if the ice cream has, like, feelings. I wouldn’t want to be thrown around like that.”

“If the ice cream has feelings, throwing the box would be the least of my worries.”

“What do you- oh. Oh no,” he hugs it to his chest. “Jake. Jake you can’t eat it now.”

"This would have been a much faster trip if you weren't so lazy," Jake shakes his head as he starts to push the cart over to self-checkout. "Or if I went on my own."

"You'd miss me if you went on your own."

"Sure."

"Well I know I'd miss you if you did," he doesn't look at Jake as he hands him the ice cream. "'Cause I never get to see you."

It makes Jake's chest hurt. They've been dating for so close to a year, and, despite living in the same city, it feels like they hardly ever get to see each other. When the relationship had just started and he was still in Wilkes-Barre more often than not, it was pretty difficult. Living in Pittsburgh full time, away games aside, was supposed to make things easier. It isn't even just due to his schedule, though he knows that doesn't help, it's just... a lot of things are always in the way. He'd prefer to not think about this in a grocery store, but it's honestly always on his mind in some way. It’s more or less all he’s thought about since the season started back up. Any time he isn’t on ice, that is.

He pays for the ice cream, Mikey climbs out of the cart - with a little help - and they walk out to Jake's car.

Jake tosses the bag into the back seat and turns to his boyfriend, who's looking straight ahead with a blank expression.

"I love you."

He looks over at him with a small smile. "I love you too."

Jake smiles back and starts the car, but when he goes to put the car in drive, Mikey puts his hand over his. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Can I get Starbucks?"

"I have coffee at- you don't have to go back to your dorm do you?"

"Nope."

"I have coffee at the apartment."

" _Please_ , babe?"

"The ice cream is gonna melt."

Mikey just makes the most pathetic and obviously played up pout that Jake has probably ever seen, and, unfortunately, it works. It always works.

"Fine. But if the ice cream melts, I’m going to break up with you."

"Yes!" He throws a fist in the air triumphantly and yelps when it hits the roof of the car.

"You're a child."

"Uh huh, and millions of people call you a kid, like, every day. That’s your thing."

He can’t really argue with that.

Mikey is practically bouncing with excitement while they wait in line at Starbucks, and it's. Jake just really does love him a lot. He isn't sure how this absurdly excited college kid ended up deciding that he was worth all the shit that comes with dating him - the ridiculous schedule, the not being super public about everything, the whole nine yards - but he wouldn't change it for the world.

The fact that they rarely get to see each other feels like half of him is always just out of reach, and, frankly, there is no need for it to be like that at all. What he wants is within reach if he really wants to take it. It’s a strange thing to realise while they wait for coffee, but there’s no time like the present or whatever.

"Alright, let's roll," Mikey walks back over to him, sipping at his frozen latte. He looks up and tilts his head slightly when he sees the look on Jake’s face. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"'Kay."

Mikey complains about his upcoming finals the entire way back to Jake's apartment, and all Jake can think about is how much he wants this, like, every single day - how lucky he is to have it.

He _is_ paying attention to what he’s saying, of course, but his mind can’t help but go back to the year before, and how his life could have been so different had he not decided to walk around that night. It’s strange to imagine; what if he hadn’t just wandered through the streets in the bitter cold to let it - the fact that he made it, that he played an NHL game, that he scored in it, that he was _in Pittsburgh_ , playing with Crosby and Malkin, and just, all of it - really sink in.

He wonders, now, where he’d be if he hadn’t walked smack into the sleepy college kid on his way back to his dorm because he was looking at his phone and Jake was looking at the sky.

_“Shit, I’m, I’m sorry, dude,” the boy rubbed his eyes and shrugged his bag back onto his shoulder._

_“It’s my bad, uh-”_

_“Mikey.” He provided._

_“Mikey.” Jake repeated._

He’d rather not think about it.

He parks the car and doesn't move to get out, so neither does Mikey, looking at him questioningly.

He takes a couple of deep breaths. It’s the only thing that had been on his mind since they were in Starbucks, so it should be an easy enough thing to suggest, just make sure it’s presented in a clear manner, and-

"Move in with me."

He almost chokes on the mouthful of latte, swallowing loudly before coughing for a couple seconds. "What?"

"I'm, you're." He really hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that. "I just. Fuck."

"Jake-"

"You make me happy, Mikey, okay? Really happy. You're paying so much to live in your dorm and I never get to see you and I really love you so just-"

Mikey grabs his wrist. "Jake."

"Yeah?"

"Of course I will."

"You'll- wait, what?"

He looks over at Mikey, and he's smiling wider than Jake has probably ever seen, and it makes his chest warm. "Move in with you, dumbass."

And that's- this is real. This is real and Jake really wants to kiss his boyfriend. So he does.

They're both laughing when they pull apart, and Jake's really lucky to have Mikey.

"Can we go inside now? I'm cold."

"You got _iced_ coffee."

"No one asked," he sticks his tongue out and gets out of the car.

Jake rolls his eyes and gets the bag with the ice cream in it before taking Mikey's hand as they walk into the building. The entire way up to his - their, it's _theirs_ now - apartment, he has Mikey's hand - cold from his iced coffee - in his own, and the annoying sound of him trying to suck up the last bit of the drink through the straw loud in his ears, and he can't help but think about how big this really is. He'll get to wake up next to Mikey almost every day, and study with him any time he wants, because he'll be doing work at the desk Jake only bought for him anyway. Mikey will be there after his games to celebrate wins and to comfort him through losses. Mikey will be there whenever he wants to watch shitty TV and just hang out. They’ll be able to make more ridiculous trips to the store whenever they need to.

He's just. Lucky.

They get into the apartment, and Mikey puts his empty cup on the counter instead of in the trash can and jumps onto the couch, stretching across the entire thing. Jake rolls his eyes, because of course he did.

He takes the box of ice cream out of the bag, and-

"The ice cream melted."

"Shame we have to break up, huh," Mikey says from the couch. "Considering I live here now."

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this quick thing instead of the fic I Should Be working on bc I wanted to take a break I guess,, anyway I hope you liked it! I love these boys
> 
> sorry I was a lil lazy with the editing so if it is a disaster that's why
> 
> catch me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/alcoholnregret) and [tumblr](http://sidnate.tumblr.com)


End file.
